My go-to Quick & Easy Dinners

Lets face it, cooking a made-from-scratch meal every night is not always realistic. Some days are just flat out exhausting, especially when you are 37 weeks pregnant and the size of a mini horse. While you are driving home in that 5 o’clock trance, the LAST thing you want to do is think about the dinner you will now be obligated, I mean pleased, to make for your family. Being that I am probably the worlds worst cook (part laziness, part lack of desire to learn), I have mastered some quick and easy dinners that are sure to please a hungry belly. Now i’m not saying these are the healthiest or most organic of meals – but in my house, you can either eat it or starve! 😀

1. Publix Rotisserie Chicken

This is a staple in my house hold. It is just too easy to run into Publix and grab a perfectly/deliciously cooked chicken. Could I have cooked a whole chicken by myself and saved a couple bucks? Sure. Will I ever? Hell to the no. While i’m in the store, i’ll grab the sides for tonight’s dinner as well. I usually rotate between a carton of Bob Evans mashed potatoes, or a Mac N Cheese of some sort. Throw in 2 cans of green beans or carrots and voila! Dinner is served in the amount of time it took you to heat up the potatoes.

2. Tacos

I have an Ole El Paso Taco kit in my pantry at all times. I mean all times. It has saved my butt so many times when I am in a pinch for a quick dinner. Just brown up your ground beef, mix in the kit’s ingredients, and bake your shells. My family personally doesn’t add all the extras to our tacos like lettuce, tomatoes, olives, etc., which makes this meal even easier. Meat, cheese, and sour cream and the hubby is a happy amigo! But if you do like all the toppings, swing in your nearest grocery store on the way home and grab them babies!

3. Hamburger Helper

I feel like I should be embarrassed to list this one. But, i’m not. I personally like Hamburger Helper, specifically the cheeseburger macaroni one. It’s quick and easy and can be paired with almost any vegetable side. Throw in some fresh baked croissant roll and you’ve hit the jackpot. A little tip: we like to use ground turkey for this dinner. It tastes just as good and limits our red meat intake for that week.

4. Ham Steak

Again, so easy. Ham steak can actually be eaten cold, as it’s already been cooked. But, I like to brown it up a little bit in a pan and give it some good color. Add a pasta side, vegetable and some buttered dinner rolls and you are set!

5. Frozen Ravioli

My local grocery stores sell the Rana brand of bagged Ravioli which can go from freezer to plate in about 12 minutes. My family loves the spinach & ricotta ones, but they offer a variety of others. If i’m feeling extra fancy, i’ll grab a jar of my favorite sauce, red or white, and pour it over the ravioli. Although this is not necessary as they are delicious by themselves too! Pop some Texas Toast in the oven, and you’ve got yourself a little pasta dinner in no time.

Have any other quick and easy dinners that you swear by? Share them in the comments below! The more go-to meals in my recipe book the better!